But even with advances in manufacturing technology slashing the retail prices of touch screens, some may still find touch screen prices rather prohibitive. And then there is also the matter of having to waste perfectly good passive screens. When faced with such a situation it may be worthwhile to consider using a multitouchoverlay.

What Is A Multi Touch Frame?

A multi touch frame is a device which is made to be fitted over existing view-only monitors to give them multi touch capability. You can say that these devices provide affordable alternatives to just scrapping your old monitor and replacing them with a new touch screen. Touch frame overlays extend the service lives of old monitors by giving them the same interactive capability that the latest touch screens have. These overlays usually come in sizes way above that of smart phone screens and the like – touch overlays are normally not less than 32” in size.

Most touch overlays are shipped in flat packages and sell for much less than full monitors. There are quite a few different technologies used on overlays, but the most common are infrared (IR) touch and Projected Capacitive (ProCap) touch. These two common types of touch overlays have different pros and cons which the user should carefully consider before purchase.

Comparison of IR and ProCap Screen Overlays

IR touch screen overlays are available in large sizes and can be easily customized to required screen sizes and shapes. This advantage would come in handy if you have a large passive monitor to use them on. IR overlays are also significantly more affordable than comparable ProCap overlay screens.

Infrared technology produces sharp images, provides fast touch response and is impervious to RFI and EMI. However since the technology works using a type of light, bright conditions can interfere with IR overlays. Also, any solid object placed on the screen will cause a malfunction. This makes an IR overlay unsuitable for use as a touch table.

ProCap overlay frames also provide sharp images and fast touch response times. The technology is resistant to most forms of interference including bright lights, EMI and RFI. However, most of these screens will only detect touches from a finger, even a gloved finger. They can be integrated into thin displays and they don’t even have a need for a bezel. ProCap overlays are more expensive than IR ones and they also not widely available in larger screen sizes.

If you want your office or store display to be more impressive and interactive without the cost that comes with new multi touch screens, an overlay might be what you are looking for. Just make sure you its features match your requirements.